STEM Minute| STEM education bringing kids out of their shells

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Odyssey of the Mind Illinois is a program that focuses on STEM activities, empowering students in grades K-12 and encouraging teamwork to solve problems.

Jim Mourey, a volunteer for Odyssey of the Mind Illinois, says, "Kids really learn how to find their passion and lean into it and feel that they are contributing to solution while being a valuable part of the team."

This process allows kids to come out of their shells and form bonds with other kids their age. It also teaches them the importance of working as a team.

Becky Rasmussen, a teacher and coordinator, says, "Its done amazing things for my entire family. I started off with my son's team and I coached his team watched him grow from a shy kid that wouldn't talk to anybody into someone who is making these complicated pin trades and now he's very outgoing."

Odyssey of the Mind is known as the Olympics for creativity. The program is opening doors for students while exposing them to different STEM concepts. It also allows them to follow their passions in a wide variety of fields like theatre, coding, robotics, and engineering. 

"I think of Odyssey of the mind as the place that students come to take things that they're learning in the classroom and apply them in new and innovative ways that they can't do in the regular classroom."

All while teaching kids important skills that they can use and build on in the future. 

"As an educator I see value in this to understand how to identify problems in their community in the world and importantly not just generate one solution but multiple solutions to the same problem."

The students work from start to finish with the hopes of taking home a prize. The goal is to go from local to state to the international world finals, completing different tasks to compete against 30 different countries. 

Riley Weems, a student, says, "Just have fun do your best and try to be a creative person because that's what odyssey is all about its about having fun being creative and making friends."

Odyssey of the Mind has even had some famous alumni go through the program and go on to work on SNL or even for major employers like NASA.

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